Astros option Kai-Wei Teng to Triple-A for workload management

Kai-Wei Teng had already logged 64 innings this season when the Astros optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land after his start against the Tigers. Houston won 8-6 after a late comeback, but Teng’s day in Detroit ended with five runs, four earned, on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings and just one strikeout.

Astros manager Joe Espada called the assignment a “de-load.” The club wanted to take some of the workload off Teng, put him on a more manageable schedule and give him a breather before bringing him back. Teng said after the game that he was dealing with “some fatigue” and “tiredness” as his innings climbed. The team will decide in the next few days whether Teng will start or relieve in Triple-A, with the immediate goal of reducing his pitches and innings while keeping him active.

He opened the year in Houston’s bullpen, then moved into the rotation in mid-May. Through his first 42 innings, he had posted a 2.57 ERA, but his last five starts had pushed that mark to 7.77. His stuff had backed up in recent weeks, with average four-seam fastball velocity down 1.8 mph and sweeper velocity down 2 mph in his June 27 start. Teng entered the option with a 1.80 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 20 innings.

Teng, who came to the Astros in an offseason trade from the Giants, was also the only Taiwanese player to make an Opening Day roster in MLB this season. His path has already included prior big-league and Triple-A time with San Francisco, and on Aug. 8, 2025, he became the ninth Taiwanese-born pitcher in MLB history to earn a win.